Heat energy system and apparatus for production of hot water,steam or heat-gas

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the production of hot water, steam or hot gas and having a burner with a uni1directional annular flame from which the hot gaseous flow is led into a narrow ring-shaped channel in which the jet of hot gas on each side is covered by a stratum of air carried along with the gas. The heat from the gas flow channel is transmitted to a channel system for the supply of a heat transmitting medium to centrally placed placed chamber surrounded by the annular gas flow channel.

United States Patent [1 1 Gudmand-Hoyer July 31, 1973 FOR PRODUCTION OF HOT WATER, STEAM OR HEAT-GAS Mita Maria Gudmand-Hoyer,

Ballerup, Denmark Dan-Fire Energy ved Mita Gudmand-Hoyer, Ballerup, Denmark Filed: Mar. 15, 1971 Appl. No.: 124,255

[75] Inventor:

Assignee:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 16, 1970 Denmark 1295 US. Cl .1 126/116 R, 60/24, 122/161 Int. Cl. F24h 11/00 Field of Search 126/116 R, 116 B,

HEAT ENERGY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS [56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,174,663 10/1939 Keller 126/116 R X 3,189,017 6/1965 Hahn 126/116 R Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner Assistant Examiner-William E. Tapolcai, Jr. Attorney-Imirie & Smiley [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for the production of hot water, steam or hot gas and having a burner with a unildirectional annular flame from which the hot gaseous flow is led into a narrow ring-shaped channel in which the jet of hot gas on each side is covered by a stratum of air carried along with the gas. The heat from the gas flow channel is transmitted to a channel system for the supply of a heat transmitting medium to centrally placed placed chamber surrounded by the annular gas flow channel.

41 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures l 1 1 W P l 2 PATENIEUJUL31 I975 sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR M/TA MAR/"A GuDMAND-HflYER 'Bvo ATTORNEY] HEAT ENERGY. SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCTION OF HOT WATER, STEAM OR HEAT-GAS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The invention relatesto an apparatus for production of hot water, steam or heat-gas with a centrally mounted burner having a directional flame in which the SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to devise an apparatus of the aforesaid kind which because of its compact constitution and effectiveness is very suitable to build in as an energy producing source, for example for turbines or piston engines as well in mobil as in stationary power plants, where space-saving is of importance and also where the pollution of the atmosphere in consequence of the combustion must remain as small as possible.

An essential feature of the apparatus according to the invention is that the ring-shaped flame slit debouches into a narrow ring-shaped inner gas flow channel which at its lowest end through a turning chamber is in connection with an outer ring-shaped gas, flow channel which near its outlet end is led alongside the mushroom-shaped air shield, and that between the inner and the outer gas flow channel respectively in heat conducting connection with these, is provided a pipeline system or a ring-shaped channel element for admission of a heat transmitting medium from the outer side into an inner chamber placed centrally in the apparatus.

By an accurate control and steering of the air pressure as well in the scondary air as in the primary air, it is possible to obtain a clean combustion and a high flame temperature, for instance above 1,200C in the burners used, and by leading the hot gas flow directly from the burners ring-shaped flame slit and into the narrow gas flow channel without use of any intervening combustion chamber, the heat energy will be utilized far better than when using a combustion chamber, seeing that a very active heat transmission takes place from the rapidly flowing gas stream to the heating surfaces surrounding the narrow gas flow channel and to the heat transmission medium in the surrounding channels or pipeline system and in the inner chamber of the apparatus. Further, the hot gas flow preheats the secondary combustion air which streams along the inside of the mushroom-shaped air shield thereby assisting in increasing the combustion temperature. The exact steering of the narrow ring-shaped gas flow from the reaction burner will also cause and secure an unusual even distribution of the heat energy over the heating surfaces forming the sides of the narrow flow-throughchannel, which is very important to secure the best possible utilization of the heat energy. The narrow hot gas flow from the reaction burner is on both sides enclosed by the air streams carried along therewith, with the consequence that the very hot gas flow does not come in direct touch with the heating surfaces, which might cause overheating. The temperature of the hot air flows coming in contact with the heating surfaces can be most favourably adjusted by exact regulation of pressure and counter pressure between the secondary air and the primary air, and an essential portion of the heat will be transferred to the heating surfaces by radiation from the hot gas jet in the middle of the narrow gas flow channels. As a result of the complete combustion and the very effective heat transmission a considerable saving of fuel will be obtained and air pollution will be avoided or only be a minimum.

The outer gas flow channel may, if necessary,'be surrounded by a'further channel for the heat transmission medium.

The inventive apparatus is relatively easy and cheap to manufacture in a cylindrical or globular shape, so that a very high working compression can be used inside the chamber.

According to the invention the inner chamber can be a liquid-steam chamber, so that the apparatus can work as a steam producing aggregate, for instance to produce water steam for the running of a turbine or for heating purpose, or the apparatus can be used as a boiler in an absorption-refrigeration plant. When the apparatus is used as a steam producing aggregate the inner chamber may according to the invention be divided into a liquid chamber and a steam chamber by the use of an obliquely mounted partition, whereby a very high pressure can be obtained in the steam chamber. In case the apparatus is used in a hot water installation this partition can be dispensed with.

According to the invention the apparatus can be used as a steam generator in a closed circuit in connection with a steam engine or a steam turbine and a condenser belonging hereto, from which condenser the water flows through a non-return valve, mainly a ball valve, after which it is fed back to the inner chamber.

A system like this is very suitable as a transportable power plant, because the steam generator works uniformly regardless to its position relative to a horizontal plane.

When the inventive apparatus works as a steam generator it can easily be supplied with venting means and means to regulate the liquid level, as these means can be mounted in the channel or pipeline for the supply of heat transmitting medium.

The burner is easily accessible and easy to replace, and the pipelines for fuel and air can easily be mounted, when the apparatus is provided with a centrally placed cylindrical channel extending from the bottom of the apparatus and up to the burner, and this channel contains the supplying pipelines for fuel and air to the burner.

In a special embodiment of the inventive apparatus the inner chamber forms the function cylinder for the pistons in a hot gas motor and forms part of a closed circuit which includes the channel element or pipeline system which is mounted in the upper heat zone of the cylindrical chamber, and a cooling zone at its bottom to cool the heat transmitting medium.

The use of a burner in this manner having a directional flame controlled by pressure and counter pressure between the secondary combustion air and the primary air in the uppermost part of a cylinder housing in which the gas flow channel and the channel or pipeline system for the supply of a heat transmitting medium to the inner piston chamber of the-cylinder, while a container and cooling means for the heat transmitting medium, mainly helium, are located in the cylinder wall around the piston chamber, creates a very compact hot air engine in which the fuel utilization is very effective, furthermore with much less pollution of the atmosphere.

The bumers used in the inventive apparatus may be designed to be supplied with oil or gas by pressure, and the ring-shaped flame slit may be provided with a glowresistant perforated screen which on one side is irradiated by the secondary combustion air and on the other side is irradiated by the primary combustion air. Further, the burner used in the inventive apparatus may be a gasifying burner with a burner pot in which the fuel level may be adjusted in known manner, for instance by means of a carburetter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be further described in the following description in connection with the drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows an axial section through an embodiment of the inventive apparatus with a globular housing and with one burner type,

FIG. 2 an axial section through the upper part of an apparatus with a similar housing, but with another burner type and FIG. 3 an axial section through an embodiment of the inventive apparatus which is constructed as a hot gas engine or a hot air engine.

DESCRIPTION OF TI-I PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS THe apparatus described with reference to FIG. 1 has a globular housing or shell which may be moulded or may be built up of globular parts located within each other in such a way that the composite spherical wall of the housing forms spherical flow channels I, J and B, respectively, surrounding the inner spherical space of the housing. In the embodiment shown which is designed to work as a steam generator, an inner fluid space is divided into a water chamber E and a steam chamber G by an obliquely mounted partition N. A cylindrical channel P extends from the bottom of the shell of the apparatus and up through the water-steam chamber. At the top of this channel is mounted an oilor gas burner M which can be supplied with fuel and primary combustion air through pipelines l and 2, respectively.

The parts constituting the housing or shell comprise an outer casing 35, a wall 36 spaced inwardly of said casing and separating the outer gas channel or passageway 1 from the outer channel or fluid space B, a second inwardly spaced wall 37 separating the space B from the inner gas channel or passageway I, and a third inwardly spaced wall 38 separating the passageway I from the inner fluid space E, G.

The burner is of the type which is provided with a glow-resistant perforated screen 3 which on the one side is irradiated by the secondary combustion air which via a pipeline 4 is supplied through a mushroomshaped hollow body constituting an air shield 5, and having an outlet facing said screen on the side opposite that which is irradiated by the primary combustion air, and the air pressures are adjusted in such a way that the burner burns with a very short directional flame in a narrow ring-shaped flame slit 6. The flame slit 6 is arranged outside the ring-shaped mouth of the narrow gas flow channel I which constitutes a substantially vertically disposed combustion gas passageway;, and seeing that the flow of hot gas can be adjusted in such a way that it takes the form of a narrow circular ring it is possible to obtain a perfect distribution of the heat energy over the heating surfaces forming the sides of the narrow channel, whereby is obtained the best possible utilization of the heat energy. Seeing that the complete combustion takes place under a very accurate control and steering of the pressure and the counter pressure between the secondary air and the primary combustion air it is hereby possible to obtain a heat energy radiation with a temperature of above 1,200C, and this hot gas flow is led from the narrow circular flame tip in between two currents of air, the secondary air and the primary air, respectively, which thereby are pushing the gas flow into a downward direction of motion. This fact is very important in order to avoid overheating as the temperature of the hot radiant energy touching the heating surfaces can be adjusted best possible, and the very hot intervening gas flow does not get into direct touch with the heating surface, which might cause overheating.

From the channel I the hot gas flow passes through a turning chamber L from which it flows upwards through the outer spherical combustion gas channel or passageway J and up over the outer side of the mushroom-shaped air shield 5, where the secondary combustion air is preheated by the gas flow before it leaves the apparatus through an outlet pipe K which surrounds the pipeline 4 for secondary air. The outlet pipe may be led out into the atmosphere or into a heatconsuming apparatus which can utilize and make use of the remaining part of the heat energy in the gas flow.

The obliquely mounted partition N between the water chamber E and the steam chamber G ends at its upper part a short distance from the inner wall of the apparatus in such a way that a passageway 7 is formed through which the steam can pass, and at its lower end the oblique partition N is provided with an outlet 8 between the liquid chamber and the steam chamber. At the bottom of the liquid chamber E there is furthermore an outlet 9 for emptying of the chambers.

In the chamber G steam having a very high pressure may be converted. The spherical chamber is very suitable to withstand such a high steam pressure. The steam is taken out at the top of the apparatus through a steam outlet pipe H and may for instance be used in a steam turbine or a steam engine, after which the steam can be cooled in a condenser and in aqueous condition be returned to the outer fluid space or channel B through a return pipeline A with a non-return valve 10. During its passage up through the spherical channel B the water is heated before being led through a connection pipe C downwards nearly to the bottom of the liquid chanber E.

The connection pipe C is provided with a liquid level control 11 which keeps the automatic safety control apparatus in check. At the top of the pipeline C is mounted an air escape valve for the channel B.

The cylindrical channel P forms a chamber in which the supply pipelines to the burner are mounted. At the bottom the apparatus is provided with a cleaning box with a lid 12 underneath.

The apparatus in FIG. 2 is designed exactly as the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 except that the burner is a gasifying burner for liquid or gaseous fuel. The burner has a pot 13 to which the fuel is fed through pipeline 1, and the primary combustion air is admitted through pipeline 2, while the secondary combustion air is fed through a central pipeline 14 and is led up through the mushroom-shaped air shield 5, where the secondary air is preheated exactly as in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 before it passes out through the narrow ring-shaped flame slit 6 to meet the combustion which has been supported by the primary combustion air which comes to the pot evenly distributed through holes in the outer side of the burner pot 13 which is encircled by a shield 16. The fuel supply to the burner pot 13 can be adjusted in well-known manner, for instance by means of a carburetter. By the right adjusting of the pressure and the counter pressure between the primary air and the secondary air this burner too allows a very accurate control and steering of the flame and consequently also of the hot gaseous stream into the channel I.

As a matter of fact, in both burners described the secondary air may be led to the mushroom-shaped air shield either from below up through the apparatus or it can be led from the top by the use of a blower arrangement.

Although the apparatus in the two embodiments shown is spherical or globular-shaped, if preferred the apparatus may also be shaped as a cylinder. Furthermore, the outer channel may be surrounded by still another channel corresponding to channel B for the supply of heat transmitting medium.

F IG. 3 shows an embodiment of the inventive apparatus arranged as a hot gas motor. The burner M is of the same type as in the apparatus in FIG. 1, and also in the same manner there is provided a mushroom-shaped air shield 5 with a glow-resistant perforated screen 3. Thus, the burner can also be most favourablyadjusted in such a way that the burner burns with a very short directional narrow flame in a narrow ring-shaped flame slit 6.

The primary combustion air and the fuel supplying pipelines l7 and 18, respectively to the burner can enter into the burner through the side. The hot gaseous stream is led from the narrow circular flame tips through channel I and down to the turning chamber L and from there up through channel I into the upper part of a cylinder 19 and over the outer side of the mushroom-shaped air shield 5, thereby preheating the secondary combustion air before leaving the apparatus.

According to the principle well-known from the hot air motor the heat transmitting medium, for instance helium, is led to and from between a cooling zone R and a heat zone which is formed of a pipeline system B comprising an outer and an inner string of pipelines 20 and 21, respectively, or it may be formed by a corresponding outer and inner ring-shaped channel element, which is in connection with the inner chamber 24 in which two pistons 22 and 23 move back and forth in a mutually different back and forth movement, thereby transmitting a reciprocating motion in the attached motive power mechanism, as the piston rod for the upper piston 22 is led down through the hollow piston rod for piston 23 in such a way that the upper piston is also attached to the motive power mechanism.

The cooling zone is in connection with the middle of the inner chamber 24 and includes a not shown cooler,

for instance a pipeline cooler and above this cooler is mounted a heat generator S, for instance containing thin metal sheets.

The heat transmitting medium, mainly helium, is heated in the heat zone by passing through the pipelines 20 and 21, when the pistons are moving back and forth against each other, thereby pressing helium through the cooling zone R and regenerator S, and from there up into the heat zone where the helium is supplied with heat from the burner M during isothermal expansion in the top of the cylinder over the piston 22.

When the pistons again are moving away from each other the heated helium is thereby pumped back to the cooling zone through the regenerator delivering heat to this before passing through the cooler, after which the process is repeated during the next compression stroke when the pistons again are moving against each other.

Reference numeral 25 indicates electric connections for ignition and flame controlling apparatus.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for producing hot fluids, comprising a heat exchanger and burner means associated therewith, said burner means including a perforated screen of refractory material, means for directing a stream of fuel and primary air against one side of said screen, means for directing a stream of secondary air against the opposite side of said screen and comprising a substantially mushroom-shaped hollow body connected with air supply means and having an outlet facing said screen, the two streams being deflected along said screen to form a substantially annular flame at the circumference thereof, said burner means being mounted at the upper end of a substantially vertically disposed gas passageway in said heat exchanger, said passageway having a substantially annular cross-section and having its upper end adjacent the circumference of said mushroom-shaped body, the lower end of said passageway communicating with the lower end of an outer combustion gas passageway having an annular cross-section co-axially surrounding said first-named combustion gas passageway, the upper end of said outer combustion gas passageway extending along the wall of said mushroom-shaped body and communicating with an outlet, means defining an outer fluid space between the outer wall of said first-named combustion gas passageway and the inner wall of said outer combustion gas passageway, and means defining an inner fluid space within the inner wall of said first-named combustion gas passageway, said fluid spaces communication with each other.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, comprising further an inclined partition mounted in said inner fluid space and dividing the same into upper and lower chambers, said partition being provided with flow passages at its upper and lower ends.

3. An apparatus as in claim ll, wherein said combustion gas passageways and said fluid spaces are substantially spherical.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a passageway containing feeding conduits for fuel and air for said burner means extends coaxially through said inner fluid 

1. An apparatus for producing hot fluids, comprising a heat exchanger and burner means associated therewith, said burner means including a perforated screen of refractory material, means for directing a stream of fuel and primary air against one side of said screen, means for directing a stream of secondary air against the opposite side of said screen and comprising a substantially mushroom-shaped hollow body connected with air supply means and having an outlet facing said screen, the two streams being deflected along said screen to form a substantially annular flame at the circumference thereof, said burner means being mounted at the upper end of a substantially vertically disposed gas passageway in said heat exchanger, said passageway having a substantially annular cross-section and having its upper end adjacent the circumference of said mushroom-shaped body, the lower end of said passageway communicating with the lower end of an outer combustion gas passageway having an annular crosssection co-axially surrounding said first-named combustion gas passageway, the upper end of said outer combustion gas passageway extending along the wall of said mushroom-shaped body and communicating with an outlet, means defining an outer fluid space between the outer wall of said first-named combustion gas passageway and the inner wall of said outer combustion gas passageway, and means defining an inner fluid space within the inner wall of said first-named combustion gas passageway, said fluid spaces communication with each other.
 2. An apparatus as in claim 1, comprising further an inclined partition mounted in said inner fluid space and dividing the same into upper and lower chambers, said partition being provided with flow passages at its upper and lower ends.
 3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said combustion gas passageways and said fluid spaces are substantially spherical.
 4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a passageway containing feeding conduits for fuel and air for said burner means extends coaxially through said inner fluid space. 